Underground hydrocarbon reservoirs are in many cases found beneath bodies of water, such as lakes or oceans. In the case of mature hydrocarbon producing fields, the surface of the water may be populated with equipment such as drilling platforms and production platforms. Moreover, the ocean bottom may be populated with drilling and production-related equipment such as production tubing, valves, lines, and anchors.
The relative density of drilling- and/or production-related equipment makes difficult the performance of marine surveys (e.g., seismic, electromagnetic) to gauge the state of the underlying hydrocarbon bearing formations. Thus, permanent or semi-permanent monitoring of mature hydrocarbon producing fields that reside beneath bodies of water is difficult.